jazz on the loose

The Jazz Youth-Quake: Others on the Upswing

Sensational, young jazz players are emerging with each season, so much so that we were only able to feature a handful of them in our photo gallery “Jazz on the Loose.” There are many other notable artists (beyond the 36 shown in the portfolio) who also deserve to be singled out for praise.

Out in L.A., there are affiliates of the collective West Coast Get Down—founded by Miles Mosley (age 35) and brought to prominence by Kamasi Washington (34)—a group that includes the young Bruner brothers, Ronald (drums) and Stephen, alias Thundercat (electric bass). Down in the Crescent City corners of the mind are “traditional jazz” talents Finnish guitarist Olli Soikkeli, singer Sasha Masakowski, and the New Orleans Swamp Donkeys. And let’s not forget Latin-jazz-big-band leader Gregorio Uribe. Or trumpeters Theo Croker, Jonathan Finlayson, Marquis Hill, and Riley Mulherkar. Or trombonist Michael Dease, flutist Erica von Kleist, and harpist Brandee Younger.

Rounding things out is a new brigade of pianists from across the globe, including Kris Bowers, Ariadna Castellanos (Spain), Eldar Djangirov, Sullivan Fortner, Beka Gochiashvili (Georgia), Tigran Hamasyan (Armenia), Chris Pattishall, Christian Sands, Cuba’s David Virelles and Jorge Luis Pacheco (who is also a percussionist and vocalist), as well as Julius Rodriguez (all of 17 years old—and a drummer to boot). Yes, a lot of today’s top cats scratch at the keyboards.

And who’s keeping the beat? On drums and percussion: Justin Brown, Justin Faulkner, Marcus Gilmore (who happens to be Roy Haynes’s grandson), Sammy Miller, and Sunny Jain (who heads up the remarkable Bhangra funk group Red Baraat, one of the wildest party bands in existence). Party on.
Lastly, a special shout out to Meghan Stabile of Revive Music, a promoter and organizer who works with many of the musicians listed here as well as in the pictorial pages. By using, among other things, social media to spread the word about contemporary jazz (especially that which utilizes pop and hip-hop elements) she comes closer than anyone to becoming a 21st-century equivalent to such jazz factotums as the legendary George Wein (who just turned 90 in October).

JONATHAN FINLAYSON

LINDA OH

GILAD HEKSELMAN

JUSTIN FAULKNER

LAKECIA BENJAMIN

KRIS BOWERS

By Andy Sheppard/Getty Images.

Julius Rodriguez

By Brian Hatton/Courtesy of Julius Rodriguez.

Olli Soikkeli

Courtesy of Olli Soikkeli.

The New Orleans Swamp Donkeys

Clockwise from top left: James Williams on trumpet and vocals, Sam Friend on banjo and vocals, Josh "Jams" Marotta on percussion, Wes "Quad" Anderson IV on the sousaphone, Haruka Kikuchi on trombone, and Connor Stewart on clarinet and saxophone.